McKinzie drew the No. 8 post on Monday in the 11-horse field for the 1¼-mile Classic. He’ll be ridden by Joel Rosario, who replaced Smith after McKinzie finished second as the favorite in the Awesome Again on his home track last month.

“He looks like he’s doing well. Really no excuses,” Baffert said. “The break is the whole key. You have to get away first and then you can have a plan. If not, you have to scramble for a plan.”

McKinzie has two wins and four seconds in six starts this year. The 4-year-old colt won the Whitney at Saratoga in August.

Baffert is going for his fourth victory in the Classic. He won it from 2014-16 with 3-year-olds Bayern, Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and Arrogate. He’s never won it with an older horse.

Smith will ride Japan-bred Yoshida, an 8-1 shot.

Code of Honor and Vino Rosso are the co-second choices at 4-1 odds.

Elate, taking on males for the first time 10 years after superstar mare Zenyatta beat the boys in the Classic over the same track, is the co-third choice at 6-1 with Higher Power. Elate drew the No. 6 post.

She is undefeated in three races at 1¼ miles.

“It’s hard to be comparable to her,” Elate’s Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said about Zenyatta. “She was obviously a very special horse and one of the very best.”

Preakness winner War of Will is a 20-1 shot in the Classic and will break from the No. 4 post.

The $4 million Turf is led by 9-5 favorite Bricks and Mortar, trained by New York-based Chad Brown. Ireland-bred Anthony Van Dyck is the second choice at 3-1.

Midnight Bisou tops the 11-horse field for the $2 million Distaff. Smith will ride the 6-5 favorite, the heaviest favorite in the 14 races. She was third in last year’s Distaff at Churchill Downs and hasn’t lost since, going 7-for-7 this year.

Ireland-bred Circus Maximus is the 3-1 favorite for the $2 million Mile.

Other favorites in Saturday’s races:

— Covfefe at 2-1 in the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint.

— Eddie Haskell at 9-2 in the $1 million Turf Sprint.

— Omaha Beach at 8-5 in the $1 million Dirt Mile. The colt was the favorite for this year’s Kentucky Derby before being forced to scratch.

— Ireland-bred Sistercharlie at 8-5 in the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf.

— Mitole at 9-5 in the $2 million Sprint.

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